Paard naar links lopend 1565 - 1630

Editor: Here we have “Horse Walking to the Left,” an etching by Antonio Tempesta, created sometime between 1565 and 1630. The level of detail achieved through the etching process really strikes me; I’m curious, what catches your eye when you look at this work? Curator: Oh, this little beauty? It’s like stumbling upon a forgotten daydream. What jumps out is the sheer aliveness Tempesta manages to capture. That isn’t just a horse, that's raw potential energy, restrained power rendered in delicate lines. It feels like he's caught the beast just before it bolts, doesn’t it? Look how he uses the lines to define the musculature, the sense of controlled strength is remarkable. How does it speak to you? Editor: I think it does feel energetic! But at the same time, I see it as just a quick sketch rather than a finished work. Does that make sense? Curator: Absolutely. In many ways, these studies *are* more telling. Less formal. This could well have been preparation for a larger painting, a chance to just feel the animal without the constraints of commission or grand narrative. It reveals the artist thinking on paper, as it were. Look at the economy of line in the foreground. That suggestion of ground... those few scratchy details contain a world of space, don't you think? It invites us to imagine its surrounding. It’s beautiful! Editor: Definitely makes you wonder what it would be like in color. Curator: Exactly! Or what followed that single stride...It's fascinating how much can be suggested with so little. I hadn't considered the implications of colour and how powerful this scene might appear! It really demonstrates the possibilities of our own artistic creativity to change this in whatever way we want.